Road safety – bikes and motorcycles

Road safety and bikes

With over 100 cyclists and motorcyclists injured every day in needless, preventable crashes, they are among the most vulnerable road users in the UK particularly at this time of the year.

Road safety charity Brake encourages us all to talk about road safety and remind ourselves of our role in keeping all road users safe. Many collisions that occur on our roads could have been avoided if those involved had given their riding/driving the attention it deserves. Drivers, cyclists and motorcyclists need to be bike smart.

Driving Courses promoting safety

Education and awareness are an important part of making our roads safer. There are a variety of courses and initiatives for people to take advantage of, including specialist courses for motorcyclists.

UK DocBike is a motorcycle safety initiative offering free rider training including what to do in the event of an accident. It is an initiative that is saving lives. All riders can improve their skills.  This includes professional police motor bike riders which undergo continuous training to enhance their riding skills.

Leave enough space for bikes

Many drivers believe they leave enough space for cyclists when they overtake but this isn’t always the case. You should leave a minimum of 1.5 metres between your car and the cyclist when overtaking. At high speeds or bad weather you should allow a full car width. Essentially, you should overtake a cyclist as you would a car. For more information on bike safety take a look at the Bikeability website.

Nights drawing in

As the nights are drawing in it is even more important that drivers look out for road users on two wheels, and that road users on two wheels make themselves as visible as possible.

Cyclists are legally required to have lights on their bike (front and rear) but should also consider wearing reflective clothing to make them more visible. Drivers should always look for cyclists and motorcyclists, especially at junctions, and regularly check their mirrors and blind spots.